This month was a small group, but MathsJam is serious business so we got through loads of fun in the time allotted for fun. To start with, we hacked away at Leeds’ tweeted starter for ten: LDS : As I am alone, starting w/ simple one ; don’t know the answer yet.Is it possible to…
Let’s talk about X
x It’s an unpresupposing little letter, $x$. In fact, that’s the reason we use it to represent something we don’t know. But how do you write it down? When Vijay Krishnan tweeted a link to an American college professor’s page on mathematical handwriting, I was shocked to learn that he thought adding a hook to…
Math/Maths 109: How Dan Brown made the Golden Ratio popular
A new episode of the Math/Maths Podcast has been released. A conversation about mathematics between the UK and USA from Pulse-Project.org. This week Samuel and Peter spoke about: Bill Thurston (1946-2012); Jerry Nelson (1934-2012); Neil Armstrong (1930-2012); A mathematician goes to the beach; solid state quantum computer; Searching for Grigori Perelman; A-level and GCSE results;…
Solid state quantum processor demonstrated running Shor’s prime factoring algorithm
Researchers have designed and fabricated a quantum processor capable of factoring a composite number – 15 – into its constituent prime factors, 3 and 5. According to a press release, this “represents a milestone on the road map to building a quantum computer capable of factoring much larger numbers, with significant implications for cryptography and…
A-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics numbers continue to rise
An IMA/LMS press release points out that A-level and AS-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics entries are continuing to rise. The number of A-level Mathematics entries is up 3.3% on last year, with AS Mathematics increasing by 5.1%. Further Mathematics also continues to grow, with entries increasing by 7.6% at A-level this year and 12.9% at…
Engineered paper by Matthew Shlian
[vimeo url=http://vimeo.com/47502276] Matthew Shlian sculpts paper by folding and cutting it.
Bill Thurston has died
William Thurston died yesterday of cancer, aged 65. Thurston was one of the greatest contemporary mathematicians; a huge figure in low-dimensional topology. I won’t bother writing out a mathematical biography – Wikipedia and MacTutor have all the relevant information, as usual, and I won’t pretend I know a huge amount about the exact details of Thurston’s…